Ignacio (a pseudonym) has worked construction in the United States "my whole life," 43 years, most recently in the Fort Wayne, Indiana, area. He raised his wife's daughter, who is about to start university. In August 2026, leaving a casino with his wife, he was stopped by police because a light on his car was not working. He passed the breath and walking tests but was taken to a hospital for a blood draw and then handed to ICE. Over 13 days he was held in two Indiana jails and a Louisiana facility, where he says about 40 of the 50-some men in his unit were sick with flu and cough. His $320 in cash, his passport and his consular ID disappeared between facilities, as he says happened to many others. "They stole my money, they stole my card and they stole my passport and consular ID." He avoided calling his wife for fear ICE would trace her pending asylum case. "They tell you: it's because you're a criminal. Not a criminal, just undocumented, working for them." On his flight to Tapachula, Mexico, six or seven mothers with small children rode alongside chained men. "A little kid shouldn't see that," he said. HUMSI interviewed him in Tapachula in September 2026.